This invention relates to a non-contact IC (integrated circuit) card and, more particularly, to a non-contact IC card comprising a flexible board on which an electronic circuit part including an IC chip and an antenna coil connected to the electronic circuit part are mounted.
Attention is directed to, as an IC card on which an IC chip is mounted, a non-contact IC card which carries out transmission/reception of information between a terminal equipment and the con-contact IC card with non-contact. Inasmuch as the non-contact IC card transmits/receives information to/from the terminal equipment with a non-contact fashion, it is possible to avoid disadvantages such as contamination and damage in terminal portions of the IC chip or the like. Accordingly, there is a great demand for non-contact IC cards.
More specifically, in the non-contact IC card, transmission/reception of information to/from the terminal equipment is carried out using an electromagnetic wave as a medium. That is, the non-contact IC card carries out transmission/reception of information to/from the terminal equipment by superimposing the information on the electromagnetic wave. For this purpose, the non-contact IC card comprises not only the IC chip but also an antenna coil for transmitting and receiving the electromagnetic wave.
In the above-mentioned non-contact IC card, the antenna coil is generally formed on a flexible resinous board by etching. More specifically, a method of forming the antenna coil comprises the steps of preparing the flexible resinous board such as a polyimide film or the like, the flexible resinous board having a principal surface, of forming a copper-clad laminate including copper foil on the principal surface of the flexible resinous board, and of etching the copper foil of the copper-clad laminate into a desired configuration to form the antenna coil.
On forming the antenna coil using the copper-clad laminate, a resist having the desired configuration is formed on the copper foil, the copper foil is etched into the desired configuration by using the resist as a mask, and thereafter the resist is torn from the copper foil using organic solvent or the like. In this event, inasmuch as the resist is torn using the organic solvent, waste liquid of the organic solvent contains copper and circumstances are contaminated. In addition, in this case, inasmuch as the copper-clad laminate is etched, it is disadvantageous in that almost all the copper foil is wasted and a cost of production is increased.
In the above-mentioned non-contact IC card, the antenna coil has an inductance which is determined by a coil configuration and a conductor resistance. In the above-mentioned non-contact IC card, inasmuch as the antenna coil is formed by etching the copper foil in the manner which is described above, the conventional non-contact IC card is disadvantageous in that it is impossible to adjust the inductance of the antenna coil once the antenna coil is formed.
In addition, a conventional non-contact IC card, an insulating layer is formed on the principal surface of the flexible resinous board so as to cover the antenna coil in order to prevent the antenna coil from corroding. Subsequently, through-holes are formed in the insulating layer in order to achieve electrical continuity of end portions of the antenna coils. Thereafter, an electronic circuit part is mounted on the insulating layer so as to electrically connect to the antenna coil. Finally, a decorative laminated tape is laminated to the non-contact IC card so as to cover the insulating layer and the electronic circuit part.
Inasmuch as the electronic circuit part is disposed on the insulating layer in the above-mentioned conventional non-contact IC card, the decorative laminated tape has an uneven principal surface. Accordingly, the conventional non-contact IC card is disadvantageous in that the appearance of the non-contact IC card is ugly, it is difficult to perform print on the uneven principal surface of the decorative laminated tape, and the non-contact IC card is mechanically weak because of occurrence of catching at difference in level or the like.
Inasmuch as terminals of the electronic circuit part are in contact with a metallic plate film in a case of forming the antenna coil by a plating method, a resistance of contact extremely increases in a case where an oxide film is formed on the metallic plate film. Accordingly, the conventional non-contact IC card is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to certainly realize a stable operation.
Furthermore, the terminals of the electronic circuit part are electrically connected to the end portions of the antenna coil using a conductive adhesive, a solder, an anisotropic conductive film, or the like in the conventional non-contact IC card, productivity of the conventional non-contact IC card has poor. In addition, the conventional non-contact IC card is also disadvantageous in that the fabricating cost of the non-contact IC card increases because of use of the conductive adhesive, the solder, the anisotropic conductive film, or the like.
It is desired in the non-contact IC card to improve sensitivity for the electromagnetic wave on which the information is superimposed. However, it is not preferable that the electronic circuit part is improved to increase the sensitivity for the electromagnetic wave because of increase of the cost. In addition, it is difficult to sufficiently increase the sensitivity for the electromagnetic wave although a resistance value of the antenna coil is decreased or the like.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof, wherein circumstances are not contaminated.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof, which have superior productivity.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and an inductance adjustment method which are capable of adjusting an inductance of an antenna coil after the antenna coil is formed.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card which has a flat principal surface.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card of the type described, which is capable of easily printing.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card of the type described, which is mechanically strong.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof, which is capable of easily fabricating the non-contact IC card.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof, which has a superior productivity.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof, wherein an electronic circuit part is certainly connected to an antenna coil without mounting the electronic circuit part on a metallic plate film.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof, which are capable of fabricating the non-contact IC card without using a conductive adhesive, a solder, an anisotropic conductive film, or the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof of the type described, which have a superior productivity.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card and a method of fabricating thereof of the type described, which is capable of achieve cost reduction.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a non-contact IC card which has a superior sensitivity for an electromagnetic wave on which information is superimposed.
Other objects of this invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to a first aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. Mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board, an electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. Connected to the electronic circuit part, an antenna coil is formed on the principal surface of the flexible board by a plating method.
According to a second aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having first and second principal surfaces which are opposed to each other. First and second electronic circuit parts are mounted on the first and the second principal surfaces of the flexible board, respectively. Each of the first and the second electronic circuit parts includes at least one IC chip. Connected to the first and the second electronic circuit parts, respectively, first and second antenna coils are formed on the first and the second principal surfaces of the flexible board by a plating method, respectively.
According to a third aspect of this invention, a method of fabricating a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card is provided. This method comprises the steps of preparing a flexible board having a principal surface, of forming an antenna coil on the principal surface of said flexible board by a plating method, of mounting an electronic circuit part on the principal surface of the flexible board, the electronic circuit part including at least one IC chip, and of electrically connecting the antenna coil with the electronic circuit part.
According to a fourth aspect of this invention, a method of fabricating a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card is provided. This method comprises the steps of preparing a flexible board having first and second principal surfaces, of forming first and second antenna coils on the first and the second principal surfaces of the flexible board by a plating method, of mounting first and second electronic circuit parts on the first and the second principal surfaces of the flexible board, each of the first and the second electronic circuit parts including at least one IC chip, and of electrically connecting the first and the second antenna coils with the first and the second electronic circuit parts, respectively.
According to a fifth aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. Mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board, an electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. Connected to the electronic circuit part, an antenna coil is formed on the principal surface of the flexible board. The antenna coil comprises an inductance adjustment circuit part.
According to a seventh aspect of this invention, a method is for adjusting inductance in an antenna coil formed on a principal surface of a flexible board for use in a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card which comprises an electronic circuit part electrically connected to the antenna coil. The electronic circuit part includes an IC chip. This method comprises the steps of forming an inductance adjustment circuit part on the principal surface of the flexible board at the inside of at least one corner of the antenna coil, the inductance adjustment circuit part comprising a plurality of wires which have different lengths, and of disconnecting the wires except for one of the wires with the one of the wires being conducted.
According to an eighth aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. Mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board, an electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. Electrically connected to the electronic circuit part, an antenna coil is formed on the principal surface of the flexible board. An insulating layer is deposited on the principal surface of the flexible board at an area excepting the electronic circuit part so as to cover the antenna coil.
According to a ninth aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. An antenna coil is formed on the principal surface of the flexible board. Electrically connected to the antenna coil, an electronic circuit part is mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board. The electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. The electronic circuit part is disposed so as to stride over the antenna coil as a predetermined area.
According to a tenth aspect of this invention, a method of fabricating a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card is provide. This method comprises the steps of preparing a flexible board having a principal surface, of forming an antenna coil on the principal surface of the flexible board, the antenna coil having an outer end portion and an inner end portion, of mounting an electronic circuit part on the principal surface of the flexible board so as to stride over the antenna coil at a predetermined are, the electronic circuit part including at least one IC chip, the electronic circuit part having first and second terminals, and of directly electrically connecting the first and the second terminals of the electronic circuit part with the outer and the inner end portions of the antenna coil, respectively.
According to an eleventh aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. Formed on the principal surface of the flexible board, an antenna coil comprises a conductive ground coat pattern formed on the principal surface of the flexible board in a coil shape and a plate film formed on the conductive ground coat pattern by a plating method at an area excepting both end parts of the ground coat pattern. Mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board, an electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. The electronic circuit part has first and second terminals which are attached on the both end parts of the conductive ground coat pattern through conductive adhesive.
According to a twelfth aspect of this invention, a method of fabricating a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card is provide. This method comprises the steps of preparing a flexible board having a principal surface, of forming a conductive ground coat pattern on the principal surface of the flexible board in a coil shape, the conductive ground coat pattern having both end parts, of disposing a pair of plating electric terminals on the both end parts of the conductive ground coat pattern, of performing plate by supplying the conductive ground coat pattern with a predetermined current using the pair of plating electric terminals to form a plate film so as to cover the conductive ground coat pattern, of removing the pair of plating electric terminals from the conductive ground coat pattern, of mounting an electronic circuit part having first and second terminals on the principal surface of the flexible board so that so that the first and the second terminals of the electronic circuit part are put on the both end parts of the conductive ground coat pattern, and of electrically connecting the first and the second terminals of the electronic circuit part with the both end parts of the conductive ground coat pattern through conductive adhesives.
According to a thirteenth aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. Formed on the principal surface of the flexible board, an antenna coil comprises a conductive ground coat pattern formed on the principal surface of the flexible board in a coil shape and a metallic plate film formed on the conductive ground coat pattern by a plating method. Mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board, an electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. The electronic circuit part has first and second terminals which are put on both end parts of the conductive ground coat pattern. The first and the second terminals of the electronic circuit part are covered with the metallic plate film.
According to a fourteenth aspect of this invention, a method of fabricating a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card is provided. This method comprises the steps of preparing a flexible board having a principal surface, of forming a conductive ground coat pattern on the principal surface of the flexible board in a coil shape, the conductive ground coat pattern having both end parts, of mounting an electronic circuit part having first and second terminals on the principal surface of the flexible board so that the first and the second terminals of the electronic circuit part are in contact with the both end parts of said conductive ground coat pattern, and of performing plate using the conductive ground coat pattern to form a metallic plate film so as to cover the conductive ground coat pattern and the first and the second terminals of the electronic circuit part.
According to a fifteenth aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. An antenna coil is formed on the principal surface of the flexible board. Electrically connected to the antenna coil, an electronic circuit part is mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board. The electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. The flexible board has an opening section in a region enclosed with the antenna coil.
According to a sixteenth aspect of this invention, a non-contact integrated circuit (IC) card comprises a flexible board having a principal surface. An antenna coil is formed on the principal surface of the flexible board. Electrically connected to the antenna coil, an electronic circuit part is mounted on the principal surface of the flexible board. The electronic circuit part includes at least one IC chip. A magnetic material is disposed in a region enclosed with the antenna coil.